Department for Transport

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a right of appeal to a body outside the DVLA for drivers whose car was clamped or towed because  they failed to comply with the changes to the rules on tax discs, or who did comply but this was not noted because of an administrative error by the DVLA.

Andrew Jones: Vehicles that have been clamped or impounded as a result of an administrative error are released free of charge. There are currently no plans to alter the appeals process.   Complainants can ask for their case to be referred to the Department’s Independent Complaints Assessor or to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Railway Stations: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what resources he (a) has made and (b) plans to make available to Transport for Greater Manchester to make the county's railway stations fully accessible for wheelchair users; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss resources for wheelchair accessibility at Reddish North station.

Claire Perry: No accessibility funding has been made available directly to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), but since 2006 almost £12.5m has been allocated under the Access for All programme to provide step free access to seven stations in the TfGM area. A further two stations were added to the programme last year to be delivered before 2019. I would be happy to meet the Honourable Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss Reddish North station.

Far North Railway Line

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support Network Rail achieve and sustain journey time reductions on the Far North Rail Line from Inverness to Thurso and Wick; and if he will make increased funding available to the Scottish Government for investment in that line.

Claire Perry: Scottish Ministers have substantial executively devolved powers in relation to the railways in Scotland. This allows them to determine matters such as the level of service and fares policy.　 In addition, Scottish Ministers have executive powers over rail infrastructure, including the responsibility for specifying and funding the outputs they wish Network Rail to deliver in Scotland. Improvements to the Far North Line are therefore a matter for the Scottish Government.

Railways: Rural Areas

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage greater use of rural rail lines by those over 50 years of age; and if he will provide increased funding to the Scottish Government to encourage uptake of the Club 50 scheme.

Claire Perry: The Government’s Community Rail Development Strategy looks at innovative ways of operating local rural branch lines, through a programme of cost management, a drive to increase passenger numbers and direct community involvement via local authorities, community rail partnerships, and other stakeholder groups.The bulk of Government support for local and rural rail comes via the franchising process and direct support for the rail industry, which allow for the continuation or improvement of passenger services on many local and rural railways for the benefit of all users. As all non-regulated fares are set on a commercial level by the operator, they can choose to offer promotional fares and other incentives should they wish. In addition, we have capped regulated fares at the level of the Retail Price Index (RPI) for two years running, and will continue to do so for the life of this parliament.  The Club 50 scheme is a ScotRail initiative, which will offer discounted travel and other benefits, including from other partners, specifically for the over 50s. As the ScotRail franchise is specified, let and managed by the Scottish Ministers under the devolved powers relating to railways in Scotland, funding issues are a matter for the Scottish Government.

Home Office

Police and Crime Commissioners: Norfolk

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms there are to appeal against decisions made by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk on the Child Abuse Inquiry Support Fund and the Child and Adult Victims of Sexual Abuse Support Fund.

Karen Bradley: The Child Abuse Inquiry Support Fund and the Child and Adult Victims of Sexual Abuse Support Fund were established to ensure that organisations supporting survivors, and those seeing an increase in demand for their services, have the resources they need to do their vital work. The administration of the funds, and final decisions on allocation, have been led by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, with the close support of the Home Office. There is no formal appeal process regarding the decisions on funding, which were confirmed by an Oversight Group which included representatives from the Home Office and was chaired by the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner.

Drugs: Crime Prevention

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much financial aid the Government provides to support operational anti-narcotic services organised and implemented by states that support and implement the death penalty; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase transparency of the distribution and extent of financial aid provided to assist other countries to maintain and sustain anti-narcotic operational services.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much financial aid the Government provides to support operational anti-narcotic services organised and implemented by Pakistan; to what extent the deployment of that aid is affected by that state's use of the death penalty for those detained as a result of convictions for narcotic-based crimes; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to avoid human rights abuses in those states that receive financial aid from  the Government to maintain and sustain operational anti-narcotic services.

Mike Penning: The Government provides counter-narcotics assistance to a range of international partners, including Pakistan. We do so to tackle the international drugs trade and minimise the threat it poses to the UK and its citizens. It is important to protect activities which form part of the UK's contribution to the international counter-narcotics effort and to respect the principle that international partners are able to operate in secrecy on matters of national security against organised crime. As such, it is our policy not to disclose details of financial assistance relating to our counter narcotics work, as to do so risks reducing its effectiveness and damaging international relations.The Government strongly opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and we are consistent in our communication on this issue. UK Ministers have and will continue to urge countries, including Pakistan, to repeal the death penalty and take action to ensure human rights are safeguarded.When engaging internationally, all government departments must adhere to Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) Guidance. This enables a comprehensive and ongoing assessment of the human rights risks attached to international activity. When the moratorium on the death penalty was lifted in Pakistan the Government reviewed its security engagement. Our engagement in Pakistan continues to be conducted in full accordance with the OSJA guidance, with respect for human rights as one of its core principles.

Offences against Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Crime Agency has made an estimate of the number of women who pose a potential risk of being a child abuser or of seeking out child sex images online.

Karen Bradley: The National Crime Agency (NCA) has not made an estimate of the number of women who pose a potential risk of being a child abuser or of seeking out child sex images online. The NCA’s National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime 2015, published on 23 June 2015, states that ‘…lone males known to their victims in some capacity represent the majority of CCSA (Contact Child Sexual Abuse) offenders’.

Slavery

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what regulations have been made under section 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to identify and support victims of trafficking.

Karen Bradley: No regulations have been made under section 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to identify and support victims of trafficking. The Government will consider the introduction of regulations once the proposed changes to the National Referral Mechanism have been tested.

Knives: Crime Prevention

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Ministers in devolved bodies on steps to reduce knife crime.

Mike Penning: The Home Secretary has not had any discussions with Ministers in the devolved administrations on knife crime.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many DNA profiles have been removed from the national DNA database.

Mike Penning: In 2013-14, 1,384,905 DNA profiles from individuals were deleted from the NDNAD. Of these, 1,352,356 of these were deleted under the provisions of the Protection of Freedoms Act, which governs retention of profiles taken by English and Welsh forces, and was brought into effect in October 2013. 31,690 profiles taken by Scottish forces were deleted under Scottish law. A further 6,837 crime scene profiles were deleted because the crimes had been solved.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many successful matches there have been between DNA profiles taken from crime scenes and those stored on the national DNA database in the last year for which information is available.

Mike Penning: In 2013-14 there were 24,953 matches between DNA profiles taken from crime scenes and those stored on the national DNA database.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that all the DNA profiles of current prisoners are added to the DNA database.

Mike Penning: It has been standard practice for the police to take DNA profiles from all persons arrested for a recordable offence for many years. If the person is then convicted, their DNA profile is retained indefinitely. If the police follow standard practice consistently, then prisoners’ DNA profiles are on the database because they were taken on arrest. It would not therefore be cost effective to check all prisoners to confirm their DNA profiles are on the database.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many DNA profiles on the DNA database were previously removed from that database.

Mike Penning: No record is kept of profiles which have been removed from the national DNA database. It is not therefore possible to ascertain whether the profile has been reloaded.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Mr David Lidington: During 2014-15, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) paid the following rent for privately-owned buildings used for official duties:In the UK, £1,764,940 on three buildings:1 Carlton Gardens, London, SW1Lancaster House, London, SW1Part of Northgate House, Milton KeynesOverseas, £30,457,809 was paid in rent and service charges on 262 office buildings and heads of posts' residences, plus ground rent on a further 72 buildings in the financial year 2014-15. Offices overseas accommodate not only FCO staff but also Government partners and wider public sector organisations (e.g. the National Crime Agency and the police). This figure also includes some payments in respect of ancillary land and buildings, e.g. car parks and storerooms. To break these figures down further would incur disproportionate costs.Details of the private landlords have not been provided as this would be commercially sensitive.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Directors

Lucy Powell: To ask the Attorney General, how many non-executive directors of his Department who were in post before May 2015 have since left the Department's board; what the names and length of tenure of such directors were; and how many and what non-executive director appointments he has made since May 2010.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Attorney General, how many non-executive directors of the Law Officers' Departments who were in post before May 2015 have since left the Department's board; what the names and length of tenure of such directors were; and how many and what non-executive director appointments he has made since May 2010.

Robert Buckland: No non-executive directors of the Law Officers’ Departments have left their post since May 2015. The non-executive directors who have been appointed since 2010 are detailed in the following table.   DepartmentAppointments made since May 2010Crown Prosecution ServiceAlan Jenkins, Derek Manuel, Alison Porter, Jeremy Newman, Caroline Johnstone** and Richard Szadziewski**.Serious Fraud OfficeSimon Duckworth, Tony Osbaldiston, Norman Pickavance and Ruth Evans.Government Legal Department *Celia Carlisle, Jeremy Newman and Oonagh Harper. * Previously the Treasury Solicitor’s Department. ** Caroline Johnstone and Richard Szadziewski were both recruited in August 2009 and had their contracts extended in 2012.   Details on non-executive directors in the Law Officers’ Departments are routinely published in respective departmental Annual Reports and Accounts.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Shares

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to promote increased long-term share ownership in UK businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Government is considering what further steps would be appropriate to encourage a culture of long-term investment on the part of UK companies and their shareholders. This is important in driving UK productivity and ensuring sustainable economic growth. We will seek to build on significant progress made in the last Parliament, which included improvements to corporate reporting, and work with companies and investors to encourage the development of good practice for shareholder engagement and stewardship.

Aerospace Industry

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of the British-based aerospace sector is foreign-owned; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Approximately 40% of the UK aerospace sector by employment is foreign owned[1]. Most of the world’s leading aerospace companies have a presence in the UK, including those headquartered overseas.[1] BIS analysis of the ONS Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) looking at the ultimate parent of a company to determine ownership

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Anna Soubry: The buildings occupied by the core Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are set out in the table below:Buildings occupied by BISTo whom rent is paidRent paid per annum (£) inc. VAT1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ETMitsubishi Estate London Ltd11,004,000Apex Court, City Link, Nottingham, NG2 4LAPS Landa, MS Landa, SS Landa & PS Landa T/A Sherwood Properties685,471Queensway House, West Precinct, Billingham, TS23 2NFStockton Borough Council48,000Victoria Square House, Birmingham, B2 4AJGVA Grimley Ltd531,312Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, WA4 4ADScience and Technology Facilities Council47,3443 Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WDGVA Grimley Ltd366,491

Adult Education: Standards

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many adult learning service departments in England are judged by Ofsted to be (a) outstanding, (b) good and (c) needs improvement.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many learners used 19 plus adult learning services in each of the last five academic years.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, by what average proportion adult learning services budgets have varied in (a) this and (b) the next financial year.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people are employed by local authorities in adult learning services in England.

Nick Boles: The total number of adults aged 19 plus participating in Government funded Further Education and skills learning in each of the last 5 years are as follows:2009/103,540,5002010/113,163,2002011/123,149,7002012/133,280,6002013/142,929,600 More detailed information on participation is available from the following website:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-heldDetails of funding allocations made available to further education providers in the 2014/15 financial year are available on the Skills Funding Agency website:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015Allocations for 2015/16 will be published in due course.At the end of February 2015, 4 local authority providers of adult further education and training were judged as outstanding, 122 were judged as good, 11 were judged as requires improvement and four were judged as inadequate at their most recent Ofsted inspection.Information on the numbers of people employed by local authorities across specific services is not collected centrally.

Education: Finance

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will meet representatives of Dudley College to discuss upcoming funding allocations for (a) adult skills, (b) the Skills Funding Agency and (c) the Education Funding Agency.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will meet the Skills Funding Agency to discuss the number of course places his Department will fund in the coming year.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will meet the Edcuation Funding Agency to discuss the number of course places his Department will fund in the coming year.

Nick Boles: I regularly meet officials of the Skills Funding Agency to discuss a range of matters relating to adult skills funding and also meet representatives from colleges when my diary permits. Funding for 16 – 19 year olds is a matter for the Department for Education.

Department for International Development

International Conference on Financing for Development

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, who will lead and which ministers will be part of the British delegation to the Financing for Development Summit in Addis Ababa in July 2015.

Justine Greening: The exact composition of the UK delegation for the Financing for Development Conference in Addis will be confirmed nearer the time.

Department for Education

Children's Centres: Closures

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children's centres which will close in England and Wales between 2015 and 2020.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children's centres which have (a) closed and (b) opened in each year from 2010 to 2015.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department does not collect information on the number of anticipated closures but expects local authorities to update the Sure Start On database when a children's centre is closed. Local authorities have duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficient children’s centres to meet local need and to ensure they consult before any significant changes are made, including taking into account the views of local families and communities. It is for local authorities, taking into account this consultation with their local communities, to determine the most effective way of delivering children’s centre services to meet local need. There remains a presumption against closure.   The table below sets out the number of children’s centres that have closed and opened in each year from 2010 to 2014 according to information supplied by local authorities to the Sure Start On database. These represent the latest published figures. Data on the changes to children’s centre numbers for 2015 to date will be available in early July.   Number of centres20102011201220132014Opened01232Closed09273283

Ministry of Justice

European Convention on Human Rights

Keir Starmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the UK remaining a party to the European Convention on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: The government will legislate for a Bill of Rights to protect our fundamental rights, prevent abuse of the system and restore some common sense to our human rights laws. Our plans do not involve us leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. That is neither our objective nor our policy. However, our number one priority is to restore some balance to our human rights laws, so no option is off the table for the future.

Young Offender Institutions: Discipline

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many awards of additional days were given by independent adjudicators to children in each public and private young offenders institution in each of the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many additional days were given by independent adjudicators to children in each public and private young offenders institution in each of the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many additional days were given by independent adjudicators to young adults aged between 18 and 21 in each public and private young offenders institution that holds young adults in each of the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many awards of additional days were given by independent adjudicators to young adults aged between 18 and 21 in each public and private young offenders institution that holds young adults in each of the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ethnicities are of the children in each public and private prison and young offenders institution that have received adjudications in the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many young people in each ethnic group have received an adjudication in each (a) public prison, (b) private prison and (c) young offenders institution in each of the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many additional days were given by independent adjudicators to prisoners in in each public and private young offenders institution and prison in each of the last three years.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the mental health diagnosis was of young adults who received adjudications in each public and private young offenders institution in the last three years.

Andrew Selous: Discipline Procedures are central to the maintenance of a safe custodial environment. They are provided for by the Prison and Young Offender Institution Rules which require adjudications to be conducted lawfully, fairly and justly, and for prisoners and young people (aged 15-17) to have a full opportunity to hear what is alleged against them and to present their case. Independent Adjudicators are District Judges or Deputy District Judges who attend prisons and Young Offender Institutions when necessary to hear adjudication cases which are deemed sufficiently serious. These cases may merit a punishment of additional days to a prisoner’s time spent in custody if the prisoner or young person is found guilty. Only Independent Adjudicators can make an award of additional days as a punishment. A range of safeguarding measures are in place to make sure that a prisoner or young person is physically and mentally fit to face an adjudication hearing and any subsequent punishment. Adjudication outcomes are regularly monitored to make sure that no prisoner or young person is charged or punished for any reason other than their disciplinary behaviour. Information on the number of adjudications by type of adjudicators (Governors or Independent Adjudicators) and on the number of adjudications by a prisoner’s mental health diagnosis is not held centrally.   Table 1 – Number of instances and days of additional days for establishments (1,2,3) holding 15 – 17 year olds, 2012-2014  Number of awards of additional days and number of days of additional days for establishments(1,2,3) holding 15-17 years olds, 2012-2014 Prison 201220132014 Number of awards where additional days were givenNumber of days for which additional days were given(4,5)Number of awards where additional days were givenNumber of days for which additional days were given(4,5)Number of awards where additional days were givenNumber of days for which additional days were given(4,5) Private   Ashfield40706**-- Altcourse****** Bronzefield****** Doncaster****** Forest Bank****** Parc****10118 Peterborough****** Thameside****** Public   Askham Grange****** Aylesbury****** Bedford****** Belmarsh****** Brinsford****** Bristol****** Bullingdon****** Cardiff****** Chelmsford****** Cookham Wood**55112173 Deerbolt****** Downview****-* Drake Hall****** Durham****** East Sutton Park****** Eastwood Park****-* Elmley (Sheppey Group)****** Exeter****** Feltham**16305661111 Foston Hall****** Glen Parva****** Hatfield****** High Down****** Hindley203165478965828 Hollesley Bay****** Holloway****** Holme House****** Hull****** Isis****** Isle of Wight****** Lewes****** Lincoln****** Low Newton****** Manchester****** Moorland****** New Hall****-- Norwich****** Nottingham****** Pentonville****** Portland****** Preston****** Rochester****** Send****** Stoke Heath****-- Styal****** Sudbury****** Swansea****** Swinfen Hall****** Thorn Cross****** Wandsworth****** Warren Hill921320335-- Werrington**20254981047 Wetherby101482641533517 Winchester****** Woodhill****** Wormwood Scrubs****** Wymott******   Table 2 – Number of instances and days of additional days for establishments (1,2,3) holding 18 – 21 year olds, 2012-2014 Prison 201220132014 Number of awards where additional days were givenNumber of days for which additional days were given(4,5)Number of awards where additional days were givenNumber of days for which additional days were given(4,5)Number of awards where additional days were givenNumber of days for which additional days were given(4,5) Private   Ashfield14352**-- Altcourse346573351341609 Bronzefield*801218910129 Doncaster14275*918188 Forest Bank515513336142780 Parc638376683058862 Peterborough580*35*77 Thameside**693*18 Public   Askham Grange****** Aylesbury221353425638935419334 Bedford*82*8*48 Belmarsh*36*11*34 Brinsford301387521826722513288 Bristol*251418221322 Bullingdon*35*7415264 Cardiff91751218913168 Chelmsford613541087102 Cookham Wood**0**34 Deerbolt146275415723171832818 Downview****-- Drake Hall11264591*22 Durham14158***10 East Sutton Park****** Eastwood Park***34*26 Elmley (Sheppey Group)5128*9827581 Exeter7145910913132 Feltham*3110215511012 Foston Hall*92***21 Glen Parva569249714881782343 Hatfield****** High Down*76175*21 Hindley*49*2149715 Hollesley Bay****** Holloway****** Holme House*38102146143 Hull*49*10** Isis120168017225871592402 Isle of Wight881**665 Lewes*8371368195 Lincoln890*20798 Low Newton*40*47*10 Manchester*40*25*28 Moorland2843123353*80 New Hall23515*63*28 Norwich132471026013224 Nottingham111131417212141 Pentonville171792226540659 Portland13519571592677841447 Preston193421114411172 Rochester11428542323714802117 Send****** Stoke Heath6110273637829404 Styal1095952580 Sudbury*****7 Swansea59432110114 Swinfen Hall11420459318761352668 Thorn Cross153386164*14 Wandsworth7120818831543 Warren Hill****-- Werrington*****7 Wetherby*21591** Winchester*16***5 Woodhill516161785119 Wormwood Scrubs*24*185482 Wymott*53*21*54   Table 3 – Number of adjudication by defined ethnicity in establishments (1,2,3) holding 15-17 years olds, 2012-2014 Prison 2012Number of adjudication casesWhiteAsian or Asian BritishBlack or Black BritishMixedChinese or OtherNot knownTotal   Private   Ashfield684714712052401455Doncaster*******Parc3667345**415Peterborough0000000Public   Aylesbury0000000Brinsford*******Bristol0000000Cookham Wood35277580243701259Downview4401090568Eastwood Park5807150080Feltham1226951494148821Hindley12073687110**1443Hull*******New Hall*0000*6Warren Hill3176836310750860Werrington4195118916950833Wetherby1444144103158**1853  Prison 2013Number of adjudication cases  WhiteAsian or Asian BritishBlack or Black BritishMixedChinese or OtherNot knownTotal   Private   Ashfield110164933**212Doncaster0000000Parc408*236**439Peterborough0000000  *   * Public * Aylesbury0000000Brinsford0000000Bristol0000000Cookham Wood28752429149**918Downview8*****10Eastwood Park*******Feltham17691515112220916Hindley108193136128**1441Hull0000000New Hall*00000*Warren Hill2924431675**728Werrington638136180362001316Wetherby15046915586701821 Prison  2014Number of adjudication cases  WhiteAsian or Asian BritishBlack or Black BritishMixedChinese or OtherNot knownAll   Private   Ashfield0000000Doncaster0000000Parc33714802000451Peterborough*******Public   Aylesbury*******Brinsford0000000Bristol*******Cookham Wood481794031561701136Downview0000000Eastwood Park0000000Feltham421116722202**1479Hindley1080691011243101405Hull0000000New Hall0000000Warren Hill******5Werrington6341342391541001171Wetherby128485173771801637  Tables 1-3 Notes:An asterisk has been used in place of values of five or fewer. This is to prevent the identification of individuals. Further disclosure control may be completed where this alone is not sufficient. '-' Data unavailable. 1 - Prison establishments holding 15 - 17 year olds and 18 - 21 year olds are either sole designated young offender institutions (YOI) or adult establishments dual designated to also hold young offenders.2 - Ashfield, Warren Hill, Downview , Eastwood Park, Hindley, New Hall and Stoke Heath are establishments that no longer accommodate young offenders.3 - Incidents may be committed at one establishment and punished at another. 4 - Figures correspond to the sum of the number of days given for each punishment received after an incident of misbehaviour. If an offender receives 2 punishments as a result of an assault against a prison officer and each punishment attracts 20 days, then the offender will have received a total of 40 days of additional days 5 - The current policy does not allow for added days to extend beyond 42 days. Data has therefore been removed where the database shows number of days exceeding 42 days, as we know this must be an error in the data. Data Sources and QualityThese figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.  Table 4 Number of days of additional days for establishments(1), 2012-2014, England and Wales Prison 201220132014 Number of days for which additional days were given(2,3)Number of days for which additional days were given(2,3)Number of days for which additional days were given(2,3)  PrivateAshfield75846- Altcourse153111511344 Birmingham366233264011 Bronzefield3616941058 Doncaster409555753 Dovegate161613571099 Forest Bank205918493427 Lowdham Grange179471525 Northumberland560356984640 Oakwood25940034934 Parc373147064224 Peterborough1238749681 Rye Hill872597417 Thameside1427163   PublicAylesbury353439439428 Bedford570291203 Belmarsh8832229 Brinsford387526723288 Bristol150617041738 Brixton60510161891 Buckley Hall1191542111 Bullingdon394524903 Bure8418881 Cardiff143613461229 Channings Wood710709 Chelmsford395659545 Coldingley536503510 Cookham Wood6351207 Dartmoor241716181287 Deerbolt275423172818 Downview149439- Drake Hall6777421274 Durham102710185  Eastwood Park384569943 Elmley (Sheppey Group)194115152932 Erlestoke1364973694 Exeter871792869 Featherstone375730242491 Feltham835202163 Ford4411001994 Foston Hall552477236 Frankland63252305 Full Sutton370715497 Garth713784354 Glen Parva92414882343 Guys Marsh10214431189 Hatfield56420 Haverigg23273220 Hewell236713411954 High Down124434354 Highpoint168726194366 Hindley3658101543 Holloway488323721 Holme House745563969 Hull14013884 Huntercombe496387126 Isis191131643629 Isle of Wight1402346281 Kennet925204709 Kirkham289389176 Kirklevington28098 Lancaster Farms451142672801 Leeds40565260 Leicester741181247 Lewes7405631698 Leyhill174145167 Lincoln7305401063 Lindholme114024063013 Littlehey174812211513 Liverpool406232284265 Long Lartin133252310 Low Newton527382411 Maidstone91416935 Manchester7941134754 Moorland10981247612 Mount255734362333 New Hall936449934 Norwich98715561265 Nottingham7409091186 Onley232317252075 Portland241238272489 Preston245012542010 Ranby500529892531 Risley288464408 Rochester336374538048 Stafford269013001002 Standford Hill85746385 Stocken241713641633 Stoke Heath205816663693 Styal766408733 Sudbury116413012659 Swaleside124312033894 Swansea7708801584 Swinfen Hall258829223216 Thorn Cross72331414 Verne6136700 Wakefield28175368 Wandsworth150717773525 Warren Hill213335- Wayland234321632086 Wealstun195917803358 Wetherby169506517 Whatton35240 Whitemoor19442107 Winchester372280497 Woodhill374792916 Wormwood Scrubs5816192615 Wymott6691148835   Table 4 Notes:  '-' Data unavailable. 1 - Incidents may be committed at one establishment and punished at another.2 - Figures correspond to the sum of the number of days given for each punishment received after an incident of misbehaviour. If an offender receives 2 punishments as a result of an assault against a prison officer and each punishment attracts 20 days, then the offender will have received a total of 40 additional days3 - The current policy does not allow for added days to extend beyond 42 days. Data has therefore been removed where the database shows number of days exceeding 42 days, as we know this must be an error in the data. Data Sources and QualityThese figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Custodial Treatment: Discipline

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the mental health diagnosis was of the children who received adjudications in each public and private prison and young offenders institution in the last three years.

Andrew Selous: Information on the mental health diagnosis of young people who have received an adjudication award in under 18 Young Offender Institutions is not collected centrally.

Ministry of Justice: Interpreters

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department's second generation contract for the supply of language services will require interpreters to be registered with the National Registers of Communications Professionals Working with Deaf and Deafblind People or the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

Mike Penning: This Government is committed to providing language service professionals who meet the needs of those requiring support in the justice system, including those working with deaf and deafblind people. Future provision of the service is currently being explored.

Ministry of Justice: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Mike Penning: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) estate is a combination of freehold and leasehold premises of which more than 500 properties are held on a leasehold basis. This includes leases from local authorities, police authorities, private sector companies and property management companies. Information relating solely to private sector landlords could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Details of the Government Central Civil Estate, such as the address and whether the property is held on a leasehold/licence basis are recorded on the Central Government property database, Epims. These records are available via the following link: www.data.gov.uk/dataset/epims The MoJ is constantly seeking ways of reducing its rental liability. It has secured these reductions both via an active programme of estate rationalisation and ensuring that when lease rent reviews occur these are vigorously contested and nil or minimal increases are agreed.

Public Defender Service

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his plans are for the role of the Public Defender Service; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Public Defender Service (PDS) delivers services within the criminal defence market from advice and representation at the police station and magistrates courts through to advocacy in the higher courts.

Department for Work and Pensions

Housing Benefit

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of working households claiming housing benefit in (a) Lewisham, (b) London and (c) England.

Justin Tomlinson: The information as requested is not available. The Information for those in work is only available for Housing Benefit recipients whose claim is not passported: that is for those who do not receive Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income-Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income-Based), or Pension Credit (Guaranteed Credit). This information can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people had their benefits sanctioned in (a) Ochil and South Perthshire constituency and (b) Scotland in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available.

Priti Patel: The latest available information on sanctions, up to December 2014, is published at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/: Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Social Security Benefits

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 851W, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have died within six weeks of their benefits being stopped in each of the last three years.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Directors

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-executive directors of his Department who were in post before May 2015 have since left the Department's board; what the names and length of tenure of such directors were; and how many and what non-executive director appointments he has made since May 2010.

Justin Tomlinson: One non-executive director, Willy Roe, was in post before May 2015 and has since left the Department’s board. His tenure was from 01 July 2011 to 30 June 2015.  Details of non-executive appointments are included in the Department’s published annual reports and accounts. Since May 2010, 6 individuals have been appointed to the Department’s board. Their names and tenures are as follow: John Clare: 01 November 2011 to 31 October 2012Ian Cheshire: 01 February 2011 to 10 November 2014Willy Roe: 01 July 2011 to 30 June 2015Dame Clara Furse: 01 July 2011 to dateDavid Lister: 01 July 2011 to dateAndrew Graham: 12 March 2015 to date Currently, we have 3 non-executive directors on the board.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which buildings occupied by her Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

George Eustice: The requested data is set out in two documents which are attached.   The total of annual rents payable for each of the leasehold sites listed in the documents on the Defra estate, as at 22 June 2015, is £16,160,890.



Defra Freeholds
(PDF Document, 183.46 KB)




Defra Leaseholds
(PDF Document, 187.72 KB)

Floods: Insurance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to implement the flood reinsurance scheme.

Rory Stewart: Flood Re is on schedule to be established and begin its operational testing phase by July 2015. It will be a matter for the Flood Re team itself, rather than the Secretary of State, to determine when the scheme is ready to accept policies and it will require authorisation by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. We understand that the Flood Re team expect this to be in April 2016.   Insurers have agreed to continue to abide by the Statement of Principles which ensures continued access to flood insurance until Flood Re is fully operational.

Forests

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase woodland and the number of trees.

Rory Stewart: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish) on 18 June 2015, PQ 2316.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Council Tax Reduction Schemes: Barking and Dagenham

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham were in receipt of council tax support in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2013-14.

Mr Marcus Jones: Data is publically available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing

Social Rented Housing: Barking and Dagenham

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households on the social housing waiting list in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham require a one bedroom property.

Brandon Lewis: The latest figure, for 1 April 2014, is published by the Department as part of the local authority housing statistics and is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2013-to-2014

Community Relations

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local councils uphold their statutory duty to promote community cohesion.

Mr Marcus Jones: Whilst there is no specific duty on local authorities to promote community cohesion, they clearly must show due regard to the need to tackle discrimination and foster good relations between people.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for his Department are paid less than the living wage.

Alun Cairns: The Wales Office has no direct employees or contracted workers. Staff at the Wales Office are subject to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) policies for pay purposes. No Wales Office staff, or agency staff working for the department, is paid less than the living wage.

Wales Office: Directors

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many non-executive directors of his Department who were in post before May 2015 have since left the Department's board; what the names and length of tenure of such directors were; and how many and what non-executive director appointments he has made since May 2010.

Alun Cairns: The Wales Office has two non-executive directors. One of the non-executive directors (David Crawley) stood down on 31 March 2015 after serving 9 years 3 months. The Wales Office has appointed one non-executive director since May 2010; this appointment was made on 1 April 2015.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Renewable Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make an assessment of the effect of the removal of the Renewables Obligation from onshore wind in 2016 on investor confidence in renewable energy in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom: Onshore wind has made a valuable contribution to the UK energy mix in recent years but there is now enough capacity in the pipeline to help the UK meet its 2020 renewable commitments. We will consider carefully the level of investment that developers are likely to bring forward under the proposals announced by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 18th June.

Department for Energy and Climate Change: Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for her Department and its subsidiary agencies are paid less than the living wage.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department has no staff who are paid less than the London or National Living Wage.DECC has received assurances from its key suppliers that they have no workers currently in post earning less than the London or National Living Wage guidelines.DECC is also signed into a larger Shared Services contract through the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide Facilities Management (FM) and Catering services. There are 21 staff working for the FM contractor & 6 working for the catering contractor who receive less than the London Living Wage and are based primarily in DECC buildings. DECC is also signed into a larger Shared Services contract through the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide Facilities Management (FM) and Catering services. There are 21 staff working for the FM contractor & 6 working for the catering contractor who receive less than the London Living Wage and are based primarily in DECC buildings.

Renewable Energy

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of the UK's (a) electricity, (b) heat and (c) transport demand that will be met by renewables by 2020.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 26 June 2015



In the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, the Government set out a plan to deliver 30% of electricity, 12% of heating and cooling, and 10% of transport fuel from renewable sources by 2020, in line with the legally binding target of 15% final energy consumption from renewables by that year:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47871/25-nat-ren-energy-action-plan.pdf.

Wind Power: Northamptonshire

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the capacity is of wind turbines (a) built and (b) with planning consent awaiting construction in Northamptonshire.

Andrea Leadsom: The generating capacity of wind turbines in Northamptonshire at the end of May 2015 was 91MW for operational turbines and 34.9MW for turbines with planning consent awaiting construction.Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), May 2015 extract:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extractPlease note: the REPD captures projects entering planning that are 1MW or larger. Therefore, there may be additional onshore wind turbines not captured by the figures given above where these are smaller than 1MW.

Coal: Imports

Harry Harpham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2015 to Question 610, what amount of coal has been imported to the UK from each country in each of the last 10 years.

Andrea Leadsom: Nearly 90 per cent of all coal imported to the UK is steam coal, therefore figures for this type of coal are provided.In the past ten years, over 90 per cent of UK steam coal imports originated from four countries: Russia, Colombia, the USA, and South Africa. Nearly half (49 per cent) of all coal imports in this period came from Russia. The table below gives UK steam coal imports by country from 2005 to 2014 in thousand tonnes: Country of Origin2005200620072008200920102011201220132014Russia16,88822,54320,18521,19318,4149,16612,09317,45919,17715,831Colombia3,3693,8833,8425,2945,2336,2368,01011,74911,3889,269USA2667071,1212,7923,1122,3494,4618,8589,5287,687EU (1)1,0011,5844829331,1368811,0565831,111690South Africa12,86212,7467,9414,2493,034763647546478129Other Countries2,8452,1462,1752,9201,8653562054251,313569Total all countries37,23043,60935,74637,38232,79419,75126,47239,61942,99534,174(1) European Union includes non-EU routed through the Netherlands.Source: Energy Trends table 2.4 available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-section-2-energy-trends.

Wind Power: Subsidies

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the statement of 22 June 2015, Official Report, columns 617-36, on onshore wind subsidies, which onshore wind projects will no longer qualify for Renewable Obligation support.

Andrea Leadsom: Under our proposed grace period allowing entry to the Renewables Obligation beyond the proposed closure date of 1 April 2016, projects must, by 18 June 2015, have planning consent, a grid connection offer and acceptance, and evidence of land rights for the site on which their project will be built. The precise grace period eligibility requirements will be determined through the legislative process and are subject to approval by Parliament. It will be for the developer of each individual project to determine whether they meet those eligibility requirements and to apply for the grace period. It will only be possible to publish a list once it is clear to us which projects choose to apply for the grace period and have produced the evidence necessary to qualify.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Staff

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent staff of each civil service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister of his Department; and what the pay band of each such member of staff is.

Matthew Hancock: This answer covers the private offices of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Minister for Civil Society), Parliamentary Under Secretary (Minister for Constitutional Reform) and the Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Cabinet Office. The total number of staff employed in these offices is SCS1 x 1, Band A x 4, Band B2 x 5, Band B1 x 8, Band C x 3. The Cabinet Office pay bands for each grade are as follows: SCS1 £62,000 - £117,800 Band A £46,000 - £60,484 B2 £30,117 - £38,484 B1 £23,793 - £30,093 C £19,790 - £24,430

Government Departments: Staff

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any staff on Tier 2 Intercompany Transfers are employed, seconded or contracted to (a) his Department and (b) other Government departments.

Matthew Hancock: The Cabinet Office does not directly employ any staff on tier 2 intercompany Transfers. It has fewer than five staff on secondment to the department through a tier 2 intercompany transfer. The visa and immigration status of contractors is a matter for the contracting organisation. Cabinet Office does not hold information regarding the immigration status of other Government Departments’ employees.

Department for Culture Media and Sport

Business: Cybercrime

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support his Department provides to assist in protecting small and medium-sized enterprises from cyber abuse and online security breaches.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The UK Cyber Security Strategy published in November 2011 stresses the importance of partnership with industry to make the UK one of the most secure places in the world to do business in cyber space. Through the National Cyber Security Programme, which is backed by £860 million, and in partnership with a range of industry partners we have taken steps to understand issues and have put in place initiatives to improve cyber security practice amongst SMEs. We have launched a Home Office-led awareness campaign, Cyber Streetwise, which aims to increase cyber confidence and improve online safety of SMEs, measured by the National Cyber Security Tracker. The mass media campaign directs to an internet portal with a dedicated SME section for trusted advice and guidance. We have also published “What you need to know about Cyber Security” guidance for small businesses and launched the Cyber Essentials scheme. Cyber Essentials sets out five key controls for businesses to protect themselves against the most common cyber threats. So far, 650 badges have been awarded under the scheme and there are more in the pipeline.

Internet: Bullying

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues in other departments on steps to reduce online bullying and blackmail of children.

Mr Edward Vaizey: My Noble Colleague, the Minister for Internet Safety and Security, meets on a quarterly basis with her Ministerial co-Chairs of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). UKCCIS focuses on keeping children safe online, and discusses topical issues, such as cyber-bullying and blackmail. Members represent organisations who are actively involved in helping to overcome these issues, including teaching young people on how to stay safe online and tackling those who seek to use the internet to bully and blackmail children.

Telecommunications

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Digital communications infrastructure strategy, published on 18 March 2015, when the Internet of Things Advisory Board will be established; and what that Board's budget will be.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Officials have been working with a wide range of stakeholders including businesses of all sizes and are currently considering what role an advisory board will take and how this will be funded.

Internet: Children

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answers of 4 June 2015 to Questions 618 and 619, which Minister in his Department has responsibility for its policy on introducing age-restriction controls for websites; and what assessment he has made of whether establishing an independent regulator will require primary legislation.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Minister for Internet Safety and Security is the Minister responsible and is considering its approach to delivering this commitment, including the possibility of a regulatory regime. Should we choose a regulatory solution, then primary legislation would indeed be required.

Mobile Phones: Islands and Rural Areas

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration the Government has given to the use of mobile repeaters to help extend mobile-coverage in rural and island areas.

Mr Edward Vaizey: No such consideration has been given as the provision of mobile coverage is a commercial decision for mobile network operators (MNOs). However the Government has taken steps to ensure that mobile coverage improves across the UK through its landmark agreement with the MNOs to guarantee voice and SMS text to at least 90% of UK landmass and the licence obligation on Telefonica to provide 4G indoor coverage to 98% of premises in the UK, both by the end of 2017.

Direct Selling

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with consumer groups on nuisance telephone calls.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy has held two roundtables this year with a range of interested stakeholders, including consumer groups. The last one took place in March.  The Government takes the issue of the nuisance telephone calls seriously and continues to work with the regulators, consumer groups and industry to co-ordinate on efforts to clamp down on such unwanted calls and protect all consumers.

Direct Selling

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward proposals to require companies making unsolicited telephone calls to state their telephone numbers when they call.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government takes the issue of unsolicited telephone calls very seriously and is considering such proposals as part of its work to tackle nuisance calls, including considering options of call blocking technology.

Direct Selling

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on the Nuisance Call Action Plan.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Substantial progress has been made by the Department on measures that were outlined in our Nuisance Calls Action Plan of 30 March 2014. Measures already implemented include, for example, ensuring improved information and signposting are available for consumers wishing to report nuisance calls and empowering Ofcom to share relevant information about companies breaching the regulations with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).Additionally, we have changed the law so that the ICO no longer needs demonstrate, before taking enforcement action, that a company has caused ‘substantial damage or distress’ to consumers through nuisance calls. These measures have made it easier for the ICO and Ofcom to take enforcement action, including issuing monetary penalties. Ofcom has agreed with industry a new standardised approach to call tracing, which has been implemented and is in routine use by the ICO and Ofcom. In the longer term, Ofcom and other bodies are working in order to make it more difficult for callers to use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to facilitate misleading caller line identification.We are progressing other measures from the Nuisance Calls Action Plan on an ongoing basis.

Public Libraries: Closures

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of libraries that will close in England and Wales between 2015 and 2020.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not made any estimate of the number of libraries that will close in England and Wales between 2015 and 2020. It is a matter for local authorities to determine how best to provide a comprehensive and efficient public library service to their local community, within available resources. The Secretary of State’s duty is to superintend, and promote the improvement of, the public library service provided by local authorities in England only. Along with the Local Government Association, we have put in place a libraries’ taskforce to provide leadership and to help invigorate the public library service in England.

BBC: Royal Charters

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what date he expects the review of BBC Charter renewal to commence.

Mr Edward Vaizey: I am currently considering a range of options for reviewing the BBC's Royal Charter and will make an announcement in due course.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Pay

John  Nicolson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are paid less than the living wage.

Mr Edward Vaizey: No staff in DCMS are paid less than the living wage.

Local press: Employment

Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of employment in the local newspaper industry since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Employment levels in the local newspaper industry have been discussed at a number of summits and meetings my department has held with the local newspaper industry. These discussions have indicated there has been a steady decline in employment figures in the local newspaper industry since 2010.

Non-domestic Rates: Local Press

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 617, on non domestic rates: local areas, which other departments his Department is working with; and on what dates Ministers in his Department have had discussions on this issue with their counterparts in other departments.

Mr Edward Vaizey: We are working with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Treasury. Department for Culture, Media and Sport ministers have not met with their counterparts to discuss this issue specifically as it has been dealt with at official level.

Local press

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local and regional newspapers there were in each of the last five years; whether he has estimated the (a) numbers of such newspapers in any future years and (b) trends in that number; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: We do not have annual statistics showing the number of operational local newspapers. According to the News Media Association, there has been an overall decline from 1212 local newspapers in 2010 to 1065 in 2015. We have not made any official estimate of the number of such newspapers in any future years.

Department of Health

Air Pollution: Death

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people in London who have died as a result of air pollution in each year since 2010; and if he will estimate the forecast number of such deaths in the next 10 years.

Jane Ellison: Estimates of the fraction of mortality in English local authority areas and regions attributable to long-term exposure to particulate air pollution arising from human activities are published by Public Health England as one of the indicators in the Department’s Public Health Outcomes Framework, which is available at:   http://www.phoutcomes.info/search/air%20pollution#gid/1/pat/6/ati/101/page/0/par/E12000007/are/E09000002)   Long-term exposure to air pollution is understood to be a contributory factor to deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Expenditure

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on accident and emergency and urgent care services in England in each year since 2000.

Jane Ellison: The following figures represent the amount of expenditure on the purchase of secondary healthcare by commissioners in relation to Accident and Emergency (A&E).   YearPurchase of Secondary Healthcare: Accident and Emergency(£ billions)1999-000.92000-010.92001-021.02002-031.12003-041.22004-051.42005-061.72006-071.72007-081.72008-091.92009-102.02010-112.22011-122.32012-132.4   Source: NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 1999-00 to 2010-11; Department of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12 to 2012-13   Expenditure on urgent care is not separately identified.   NHS England calculations suggest that expenditure on A&E alone represents less than 10% of total urgent and emergency care spend.

Perinatal Mortality

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of stillbirths.

Ben Gummer: We have made reducing stillbirth an improvement area for the National Health Service in the NHS Outcomes Framework. It is encouraging that the stillbirth rate in England has fallen from 5.2 stillbirths per 1,000 total births in 2011 to 4.7 in 2013.   The Department is working with key partners, including NHS England, Public Health England, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives and the stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, to identify and drive forward the actions required to help reduce further the stillbirth and neonatal mortality rate in England.   Our stillbirth prevention work programme aims to reduce stillbirth and neonatal mortality by raising awareness of the known risk factors; identifying the currently unknown factors and causes associated with perinatal and infant mortality; and facilitate the learning and sharing of good practice across the NHS.   This programme covers a range of initiatives which include raising awareness of the known risk factors among pregnant women and health professionals. This will ensure women receive consistent advice on how to minimise the risk of stillbirth – including the importance of eating healthily and not smoking or drinking alcohol – as well as being aware of fetal movement and what is normal for their baby, and where to go for help if they suspect there is a problem. Reducing perinatal mortality, including stillbirth, is included as an improvement area for the NHS in the NHS Outcomes Framework and remains a priority for the Government.

General Practitioners: Retirement

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average retirement age of GPs in (a) England, (b) London, (c) the London Borough of Islington and (d) Islington South and Finsbury constituency.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs in (a) England, (b) London, (c) the London Borough of Islington and (d) Islington South and Finsbury constituency retired in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Gummer: Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2012, the average age of retirement of general practitioners (GPs) in England was 60. However, we do not have a breakdown of age by region, local authority or constituency. This information is not collected centrally.   Information on the number of GPs retiring in England, London, the London Borough of Islington and Islington South and Finsbury constituencies is not collected centrally.

Health Services

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the NHS England review of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme to conclude; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: The National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP), managed on behalf of NHS England by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), is a rolling programme of audits.   HQIP announced in May 2015 a new process to prioritise the clinical care areas which are covered by NCAPOP. This builds on increasing engagement between HQIP, the National Advisory Group for Clinical Audits and Enquiries, and the funding bodies (NHS England and the Welsh Government) to shape an overarching strategy for the programme. More information can be found at the following link:   www.hqip.org.uk/ncapop-topic-selection-and-prioritisation/

Diabetes

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department is making in implementing a patient experience survey for patients with diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The Patient Experience of Diabetes Services pilot, a module of the National Diabetes Audit, was conducted in 2014 and NHS England will be reviewing it in the coming months.

Diabetes

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to publish a national diabetes strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Preventing diabetes and promoting the best possible care for people with diabetes is a key priority for this Government. The NHS Five Year Forward View set out a commitment to implement a National Diabetes Prevention Programme to provide lifestyle programmes to pre diabetic patients to reduce the risk of them developing diabetes.   We are also building on the Diabetes Prevention Programme to improve the outcomes of people with and at risk of diabetes and will put forward our plans in due course.

Viral Diseases: Research

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2015 to Question 740, if he will commission comparative research into the incidence of hepatitis B and HIV infection in (a) the national population, (b) the population of men who have sex with men and (c) men in a civil partnership or married to a man.

Jane Ellison: Data on new HIV infections in the United Kingdom are routinely collected through both laboratory submissions and clinic reports as part of ongoing surveillance and are available for the national population and the population of men who have sex with men (MSM). The publically available ‘HIV in the United Kingdom: 2014 Report’ contains data on HIV incidence estimates amongst the national population and MSM. This is available at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401662/2014_PHE_HIV_annual_report_draft_Final_07-01-2015.pdf   There are no plans at the present time to commission research into incidence of HIV in men in a civil partnership or married to a man.   For the national population, population-based surveillance of acute hepatitis B in England is based on reconciliation of clinical notifications and laboratory reports, for which figures are reported in the Health Protection Report annually. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/348576/hpr3314_hbv13.pdf   Data are not collected specifically on MSM or men in a civil partnership or married to a man. However, where possible, the most likely route of transmission is recorded following investigation of each case, such as whether the exposure risk relates to sexual activity. There are no plans at the present time to commission new research into infection incidence in MSM, men in a civil partnership or married to a man.

Cancer: Drugs

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received on the future of the Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: Since it was established, the Cancer Drugs Fund has helped over 72,000 people in England to receive the life-extending cancer drugs that would not otherwise have been routinely available to them.   The Department continues to receive representations from a wide range of interested parties including hon. Members, noble Lords, patient representative groups and charities, the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare professionals.   This Government has committed to continuing to invest in the Fund.

Haematological Cancer: Drugs

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the funding and availability of medicines for blood cancer patients in England compared to their counterparts in Scotland and Wales.

George Freeman: We have no plans to undertake any such assessment. A number of medicines for blood and bone marrow cancers have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and are routinely funded by the National Health Service in England. In addition, a number of other medicines to treat blood and bone marrow cancers are available through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Blood: Donors

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) more of the total population and (b) eligible MSM to donate blood; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a joint England and Wales Special Health Authority. Its remit includes the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood and associated services to the National Health Service in England and North Wales.   Although blood stocks are currently in a healthy position, there is always a need for new donors to fill the gaps left by existing donors who are no longer able to give blood- to ensure that we have the right mix of blood groups to match patients’ needs. NHSBT co-ordinates local and national awareness campaigns, such as the recent ‘Missing Type’ campaign, which are intended to motivate thousands of people to start donating blood.   NHSBT’s campaigns and awareness activities are directed towards encouraging all eligible donors to donate blood.

Department of Health: Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Jane Ellison: The Department occupies two buildings that are owned or part owned privately, Skipton House and Premier House. Rental information is commercially sensitive and would adversely affect Her Majesty’s Government’s future ability to negotiate efficiencies and achieve value for money to the taxpayer.   The Department continues to review its estate in order to reduce costs. The Department has adopted a policy of co-locating with other organisations and most of the buildings it is responsible for contain a number of our arm’s length bodies.   Further information on the efficiency and sustainability of property in the Government's civil estate is published in the State of the Estate Report 2013 - 2014 available here:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-estate-2014

Paediatrics: Nurses

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on paediatric bereavement nurses in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer: The Department does not collect data on the number or cost of nurses that have received bereavement training. It is the responsibility of local National Health Service organisations to ensure that they have the appropriate staff with the required skills in employment to deliver local health needs.